Harry's and Cho's Christmas
by Aino Krum
Summary: The first Christmas at Hogwarts after Cedrics death. Voldemort is coming to get you... (Sorry. I'm just messing around trying to get this into chapters. And if I lose my reviews, I'll bite someone's head off)
1. Chapter I

When I first wrote this, I used the Finnish speech marks, and people complained they couldn't read it. Here it is: the readable version of "Harry's and Cho's Christmas, part I"

It was Christmas Eve.

Harry was walking down the stairs, when he saw Cho. She was leaning to a wall, her face wet with tears. She didn't seem to have noticed him.

"Er… Cho?" Harry said quietly. "Are you OK?" She jumped, and wiped her eyes with her hand. "I'm fine," she said, and turned around to go away. 

"Cho wait!" Harry called after her. "Cho, what is it?"

Cho didn't answer; she just started to ran. Harry ran after her. She ran fast through the corridors, turned sometimes left, sometimes right and tried to get away from Harry. Finally she found herself facing a dead end, in a little chamber filled with different sorts of mirrors, illuminated by candles, which reflected in the mirrors. There was only one way out, the door opening, in which Harry stopped. "Cho, what is it?" he asked again. "Have I done something"

Cho shook her head. "It's just…" she started, but burst in tears again. She turned, so he wouldn't see her crying, but the thousand reflections on the mirrors on the opposite wall betrayed her. Harry stepped forwards, trying to decide what he should do. Neither of them noticed that the door behind them closed silently.

"It's just," she sobbed, "it's a year since the Yule ball…"

Harry suddenly understood. The Yule ball last year… Cho had been Cedric Diggorys partner. Cedric, who had died during the Triwizard Tournament last year. Cho hadn't been herself after his death, always, when Harry had seen her in the corridors, she had looked pale, and had dark circles around her eyes.

Harry didn't know what to do. Slowly he walked to her, and lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know," he said quietly. 

"It's so hard to understand that he is gone," she sobbed. "And I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I know, Cho," Harry said. "He was a fine person." Cho didn't answer. Harry turned her firmly around. "Look at me, Cho," he said. "I know it's hard, but you've got to go on with your life. He wouldn't want you to…" he got no further. Cho slapped him in the face.

"I don't care," she cried. "It was my fault. I asked him to take the Cup. For me! I wanted him to win!"

"It wasn't your fault," Harry said again. "It was my fault. I told him to take the cup with me. It was me Voldemort wanted, not him."

Cho looked at him, surprised at the bitterness in his voice. Harry tried to hold back tears, but they kept burning his eyes. He couldn't look at her. "It was my fault, Cho, not yours. And he forgave me. And so did his parents. They thanked me for bringing his body back, when I had just killed him!" Harry couldn't stop the tears. "I'm sorry, Cho," he whispered.

Cho looked at him. "It's not like that," she whispered. "It wasn't your fault. It was Voldemort, who killed Cedric."

"I told him to take the Cup, Cho," Harry said again. "You should stop accusing yourself, Cho. It wasn't your fault."

"Then it's not your fault either," she said. Harry looked at her, and saw, for the first time in months, that the blank expression she had had since Cedrics funeral was gone. For the first time in months he saw some of the old, cheerful Cho. 

There was something else in her expression, though. Something, that he had never seen there before. Very slowly he pulled her towards himself. She didn't resist, but she didn't look at him, when he embraced her.

"Look at me, Cho," Harry whispered, and she lifted her face slowly. The thousands of mirrors reflected in millions of fading images, when their lips met and they shared their first kiss.

Harry didn't know how long they had stood there, but suddenly he realised how dark it had become. The most of the candles had already died down. "Cho," he said quietly. "We should maybe go back. People maybe miss us already."

"What, oh yes," she said, looking at her watch. "But it's still a couple of hours 'til dinner."

Harry turned, to where he thought they had come from. There was mirrors, but not a doorway. He turned around. No door.

"Er… Do you know where we came from?" he asked Cho. She looked around. "Where is the door?"

Harry went to the nearest wall, and examined it carefully. "Here is no sign of a handle," he said. He moved on to the next wall. "Nor is here."

"Do you mean we can't get out?" exclaimed Cho, with panic in her voice.

"I don't know. Try to tap on the mirrors on that wall with your wand, and I'll take this one," Harry said pointing at the walls.

They tapped on the mirrors with their wands, but nothing happened. The candles died out one by one, until there was only one left. "Lumos," Harry whispered to his wand. It spread some light to the room, but couldn't chase away the shadows that lay in the corners. Harry sat down and leaned towards a wall. "We can't do anything now," he said to Cho. "We should probably just wait; maybe the door opens again. It must open, because the candles were new when we came."

Cho sat down besides him, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Harry put his arm around her, and they sat quiet, watching the last candle die out.

"Harry," Cho whispered. "What's that?"

Harry looked at the direction she pointed. The mirrors on the wall on his left had started to shimmer, and a long, thin shadow appeared in them. The shadow glided to the next wall, and before Harry could do anything, it stepped into the room. Harry recognised the shadow immediately. It was someone, he had seen far too often. The long, thin man in black robes, with a wand, that he held carefully "Voldemort," he hissed.

"We meet again, Harry," Voldemort said. "What a coincidence, that you should be in this room." 

Harry raised his wand. "Expelliarmus," he shouted. A jet of red light blasted from his wand. It went through Voldemort, who laughed. "I'm just a shadow, Harry," he said. "You can't hurt me, but I… I can hurt you."

Then Voldemort noticed Cho. "Good evening, my dear," he said. Cho looked scared. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your little friend, Harry?" he asked, his livid, scarlet eyes glittering unpleasantly. "How rude of you. Maybe you should like me to persuade you a little bit?" There was menace in Voldemorts voice. He raised his wand, and the slits he had for nostrils, vibrated slightly. 

At the same time as Voldemorts cold, high voice said "Crucio", Harry flung himself in front of Cho, and the Cruciatus Curse hit him instead of her. He heard Cho scream, but he couldn't understand, what she said. The pain was too all consuming. He wished it would end, he longed for death, whatever was better than this pain. Somehow, it still felt a bit less intense, as he remembered it.

Then it ended. Voldemort smiled. Harry looked for his wand; he had dropped it when he had tried to protect Cho. 

He looked at her. She was trembling, but she looked very determined. She picked up Harry's wand, which had slid to her feet, and gave it to him. "How did you get here?" she asked Voldemort.

"Funny you should ask," he said. "You see, already while I was in Hogwarts, I decided to secure my position. I knew that some of the teachers here wouldn't like my ideas, so I got the idea of a spell, that would guarantee me entrance here."

While Voldemort talked, Harry slowly moved closer to him. "Keep on talking, Cho," he thought. "Just a little bit longer!"

"What kind of spell did you use?" she asked.

Voldemort laughed. It was a scaring, unscrupulous laugh. "Oh, I'm afraid I cannot tell you," he said. "You know, powerful Dark Magic isn't anything to play with."

Just one more step, Harry thought. One more step. He hadn't any idea of what he would do then, though.

"It was nice talking to you," Voldemort said. He raised his wand. "I'm truly sorry we don't have time to chat longer. But, you know, duty calls…"

Harry jumped forwards, rage filling him, and, at the same time, as Voldemort shouted "Avada Kedavra", his voice cried out the same. Two flashes of green light lighted up the room, and the shadow of Voldemort broke into thousands of splinters, which escaped from the room breaking their way through a solid-looking wall of mirrors.

"Cho," Harry whispered. "Cho?" There was no answer.

"Lumos!" Harry's voice was trembling, as though he was afraid of what he was going to see. 

Cho lay on the floor. She was very pale, and her breathing was fast and irregular, but she was alive. Harry lifted her up carefully and carried her out through the doorway Voldemort had opened and down the corridors they had come through hours before.

Harry carried Cho directly to the hospital wing, but there wasn't anyone there. He couldn't leave her, so he carried her down to the Great Hall, where all the people that had stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas were just starting on the dinner, Madame Pomfrey among them.

"Harry!" Ron shouted. "Where have you been?" Harry ignored him. He needed to talk to Dumbledore immediately.

"Madame Pomfrey!" he shouted. "Could you come over here, please? Cho is hurt."

She hurried towards him. Dumbledore and the other teachers followed her. "What has happened?" Madame Pomfrey asked. 

"Voldemort," Harry said. "He was inside the castle. Or… at least a shadow of him was."

"Where?" asked Dumbledore sharply.

"In a room with lots of mirrors," Harry said. "We were there, when the door closed, and when all of the candles had died out, a shadow of Voldemort appeared. And he tried to kill Cho, but failed… And then I…" He couldn't say he had used Avada Kedavra, not in front of Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey. "Then the shadow of him just shattered," he finished.

"Exactly how did he try to kill her?" asked Snape softly. "The Dark Lord isn't a person that likely fails on that task."

"Avada Kedavra," Harry answered. Snape made a voice of disbelief. "Hogwarts is well protected. You must have imagined, Potter," he said softly.

"Then what happened to Cho?" Harry looked down at her. Cho showed no signs of waking up, and her breathing was fast but weak.

"I think you could explain that, Potter," Snape hissed softly. "After all, she was with you."

"Enough, Severus. Could you show me the room?" Dumbledore asked Harry. 

"But Cho…"

"Madame Pomfrey will take care of her," Dumbledore said. Harry stroke Cho's hair gently and stood up. "This way," he said. He led Dumbledore, Snape and Professor McGonagall through the corridors towards the room with mirrors. Left, right, right again, left, and once more right. At the end of the corridor, the open door revealed thousands of reflecting images on the mirrors on the walls and shattered pieces of glass on the floor. And then, in front of their eyes, a wall of thick smoke rose from the threshold and turned into a solid wall.

Snape walked to the wall and touched it. Nothing happened. He tapped it with his wand. It had no effect whatsoever. Professor McGonagall walked to him. Harry heard them discuss the wall with lowered voices.

"Er… Professor Dumbledore," Harry said. Dumbledore looked at him. "When Voldemort tried to kill Cho I…" Harry stopped to think how to say what he had to say. "I tried to kill Voldemort," he said quietly. "With Avada Kedavra," he added.

Dumbledore looked at him. "And now you're afraid of being expelled and that the Ministry will be after you, and you will be sent to Azkaban." Harry nodded.

"I don't think you could have killed anyone with that curse," Dumbledore said slowly. "It's too advanced magic for you. And besides, I don't think the Ministry would mind having Voldemort killed," he added, with a twinkle in his eyes. Then his expression became serious again. "I'm glad you told me this, Harry. Now we know how to fight Voldemort, if he appears here again. And I hope I can trust on you. You won't use the curse again, will you?"

"I don't know why I said the words," Harry said miserably. "They just came to me. It was just… when he attacked Cho…"

Dumbledore didn't say anything. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall returned to them. "I'll take Flitwick here first thing tomorrow," Professor McGonagall said. "He could maybe open the door. But now, Harry, I think you should spend this evening in the hospital wing. Come on…"

As the four of them walked out of the corridor, thick smoke filled the corridor and turned into stonewall, which was impossible to distinguish from the rest of the wall.

"Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore sadly. "Probably the most talented student that has ever been to Hogwarts." He sighed. "Now, Harry, the hospital wing. We could maybe even find a bed next to Cho."

Please review! And if you like the story, I have already written two sequels, and there will be more… (This is turning out to be a pretty good series…)


	2. Chapter II (at least 'til I get a proper...

****

Some of you asked for a sequel, and the story started to live it's own life, so I decided to write it down. Here it is: Cho's and Harry's Christmas, part two! Please review this!

_"Support CEDRIC DIGGORY – _

the REAL Hogwarts champion!"

the badge Malfoy bore read. "Like them, Potter?" he asked. "And this isn't all they do – look" The message on the badge was replaced by another one, which read:

POTTER STINKS

Suddenly the room was filled with Slytherins. All of them bore badges that read "POTTER STINKS". Harry could feel the anger rising. Before he knew, he had taken out his wand. He pointed it at Malfoy, and screamed "Avada Kedavra". He heard the soft voice of a body hitting the stone floor. He pointed it at the other Slytherins. "Crucio!" he screamed. "Crucio, Crucio, Avada Kedavra, Crucio!"

The air was filled with screams. All of the Slytherins screamed. Harry laughed. He laughed, and his voice became colder and colder, higher and higher. Harry laughed, and with him, inside him laughed Lord Voldemort.

Harry screamed. It took him several seconds to realize, that Malfoy wasn't there. That he was in a bed in the hospital wing. That he most certainly hadn't killed half of the Slytherins with the Unforgivable Curses. Harry closed his eyes. "It was just a dream", he kept telling himself. "Just a dream."

"Harry! What is it?" Ron's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Harry refused to open his eyes. When he started to speak, he spoke slowly. "Tell me it was just a nightmare. That I am in my own bed in the dormitory, and that Cedric hasn't died. Lord Voldemort can't be back. It was just a nightmare, wasn't it?" He opened his eyes, looking pleadingly at Ron. "Tell me I didn't put Cho's life in danger last night."

Ron looked at Harry. "Harry…" he started.

"It's true then, isn't it?" Harry said bitterly. "That I almost killed Cho? Voldemort is back, isn't he? It's all true." He closed his eyes again.

"Could you go and get a toast or two, Ron?" Hermiones voice asked gently. "Why?" Ron asked, and Hermione whispered something to him. "Please?" she said then. Harry heard Ron's steps move away.

"Open your eyes, Harry" Hermione said. Harry didn't answer. He felt Hermiones hand stroking his hair. "Just talk to me, then" she finally said. "What happened?"

"How is Cho?" Harry asked.

"She is fine, Harry" Hermione said gently. "She's in a separate room, she needed to be alone, she said."

"I can see why", Harry said bitterly. "First my mom, then Cedric, now her. Why do I bring bad luck to people?"

"Stop accusing yourself", Hermione said firmly. "You couldn't know. You couldn't have done anything differently."

"I should have known. I should have protected Cho."

"Harry, you drove Voldemort away", Hermione said quietly. "You saved Cho's life. Just look at me, Harry. This is me, Hermione. You can look at me."

Harry turned his head away. "I could look at you. I could maybe even look you in the eyes. But I can't look Cho in the eyes, nor can I look Neville in the eyes. For Gods sake, Hermione, I couldn't look my parents in the eyes. I used the Killing Curse." Harry turned towards Hermione, opened his eyes and looked at her. "I used Avada Kedavra."

Hermione breathed in sharply. Harry saw her flinch at the thought. "You see" he said, and his voice sounded tired. "I didn't mean to, of course. But that doesn't make any difference. I still did try to kill Voldemort. It would maybe be better if I just quitted."

"You told Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"Of course I told Dumbledore", Harry said. "As Moody said: 'Dumbledore is trusting man. He believes in second chances.' Dumbledore didn't say anything, but…" Harry's voice died out. He closed his eyes again, and hid his face with his hands. 

Hermione took a firm grip of his wrists. "Stop it", she said. "You couldn't do anything else. Now get dressed, Ron is getting some breakfast. I'll wait outside."

Harry started to put his clothes on. When Ron got back, he was finished. "I'm not hungry", he said to Ron, who offered him toast. Hermione took the toast from Ron, and put it firmly in Harry's hand. "Now eat. And stop feeling sorry for yourself. We'll go and write to Sirius."

"He's my godfather. Don't I have anything to say about it?" asked Harry.

"No, unless you were going to say that you'll write to him."

Half an hour later Harry knocked politely to the door to the hospital wing. When Madame Pomfrey opened, he asked if he could see Cho.

"Oh, I'm afraid you can't", Madame Pomfrey said. "She said, that she preferred to be alone." She saw Harry's disappointed expression. "She's going to go back to the Rawenclaw tower soon, maybe you can do her company. She'll leave any minute now."

Harry sat down outside the door to the hospital wing, and waited. As Madame Pomfrey had said, Cho came soon out through the door.

"Er… Cho?" Harry said.

"What? Oh, hi Harry." Cho turned to go.

"Wait, Cho. I'd like to talk to you" Harry said. Cho didn't look him in the eyes. "Listen, I've got to go," she said. She started to go. "Some other time, then." she just said.

Harry sat down at a table in the common room of Gryffindor, his face buried in his hands. He didn't even notice Parvati, before she spoke.

"Hi", she said. Harry looked up. "Oh, hi, Parvati."

Parvati sat down opposite him. "Would you like me to read your fate from the cards", she offered. "I've got Tarot-cards."

"Maybe not right now", Harry answered. "The last thing I need now is a death omen." he added pointedly. Parvati blushed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I should have thought… But I wasn't going to read any bad omens."

"Just keep them to yourself, and treat me like I would die any day now?" Harry asked. Parvati bit her lip. "I maybe should be going", she said. Her voice sounded like she was close to tears, but she forced a smile.

"No, not at all. I'm sorry," Harry sighed. "It's just… well everything seems to fail today. It's not your fault."

It seemed Parvati couldn't think of anything to say. "Is it true, that Ron and Hermione are having a date?" she finally asked, just to break the silence.

"Ron and Hermione?" Harry looked startled. "I don't know. It could be true, I suppose…" Harry remembered Cho, and sighed.

"May I ask you something?" Parvati asked carefully. "Would you like to go out with her?"

Harry looked amazed. "Me? With Hermione?"

Parvati looked slightly happier. "You're not in love with her?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm not in love with her. Where did you get that idea from?"

Parvati ignored the question. She just smiled happily. Harry couldn't understand that he was talking about this with Parvati. Parvati, who giggled every time a boy's name was mentioned. And he hadn't been able to talk about these things even with Ron and Hermione, not until recently.

"What happened to you and that boy from Beauxbatons who you met at the Yule ball?" he asked Parvati. She looked startled. "Who? Oh, him… It didn't work out. He was nice, but…" She shrugged. "Maybe he just wasn't the right." She threw a meaning look at Harry from under her eyelashes, but he didn't notice it.

"Parvati," Harry said. "Could I ask for a huge favor?"

"Anything," she smiled. "Anything at all…"

"Your sister, Padma, is in Rawenclaw, isn't she?" Harry didn't notice how icy Parvatis expression became, so he continued: "Could she ask Cho how she feels? She doesn't want to speak to me, and… well, it is kind of my fault that she…"

Parvati bit her lip. "Of course", she said and forced a smile. "I must go and send an owl now, but… I'll talk to her about it," she promised with a sigh. Harry didn't notice the sadness in her appearance. "Thanks, Parvati", he smiled.

"Don't mention it," she just said, before leaving towards the girls' dormitory.

Ron and Hermione sat in a quiet corner of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Are you still together with Krum?" Ron asked Hermione. She looked startled. "It's actually non of your business", she said, "but if you must know, yes, I am, kind of."

"Kind of?"

"Well, he lives so far away…" Silence fell between the two of them.

"Are you in love with him?" Ron broke the silence.

"Well, this is most certainly none of your business!" Hermione said indignantly. "But yes, I do love him. Why?" Then she saw the expression on Ron's face, and suddenly understood. "I'm sorry, Ron," she whispered. Ron tried to look normal, but two great tears appeared in his yes. "It's OK," he said, turning his head away, so Hermione wouldn't see him cry. He looked sternly at the stone wall, blinking. "I'm not going to cry," he thought. "I'm not going to cry."

Hermione touched his arm carefully. "Ron, look at me!" she said. "We can still be friends, can't we?" she pleaded. "I don't want to lose you as a friend."

"It's easy for you to say!" Ron muttered bitterly.

"Ron, please…?"

He refused to answer. "I'm not going to cry," he thought. "I'm not going to cry."

"Listen, Ron. I wouldn't like to say this like this, but you won't listen otherwise. I can't force myself to love you. I still want to be your friend." Ron didn't answer. "Look at me, Ron!" Hermione said impatiently. He didn't turn his head. Hermione looked at him in silence for a long time.

"Fine, then," she finally snapped. "It's my friendship or nothing, Ron!" She stood up, turned on her heels, and run up the stairs to her dormitory. Up there, she threw herself on her bed, and buried her face in her pillow. She tried to cry, but she couldn't. She could only feel bad. The sound of muffled sobs from the bed next to hers interrupted her thoughts.

Ron went outside. He headed towards the Forbidden Forest, but in a corner of his eye, he saw the Whomping Willow. The branches of the tree made a wailing sound in the wind. The sound irritated him. He changed direction, and walked to the tree. "Shut up!" he screamed. The tree ignored him. "Shut up!" Ron screamed again. He kicked the tree. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He didn't even notice the branch that lowered itself to the level of his head. He started to hit the trunk with his fists. "Shut u…" his screaming stopped abruptly when the branch hit him hard in the head. Then it threw him away, like he was a rag doll. He was flung several yards away from the Whomping Willow, where he then lay motionless. It started to snow, heavy, wet snowflakes, that melted to icy water the second they hit the ground.

"What is it, Parvati?" Hermione asked. The sobs from the other bed stopped abruptly. "It's nothing," Parvatis voice said. "I just…"

"Just what?" asked Hermione, when Parvati didn't finish her sentence.

"Nothing," Parvati said. She came out, her eyes were red, but she tried to smile. "I'm fin," she said. "Really." She looked at her watch. "I must go and see Padma," she said and hurried out through the door.

Harry sat down at the Gryffindor house table in the Great Hall. He started on his portion of sausages and potatoes, when Hermione sat down beside him. Harry smiled at her, but she didn't smile back. "Harry, I need to talk to you," she said. "Or, actually, I need you to talk to Ron."

"What has he done now?" Harry asked.

"He hasn't done anything… It's just… He is in love with me…" Hermione said. "Don't laugh, Harry…" she added pleadingly. "He told me this afternoon."

"And you're not in love with him?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head. "No. He can't accept that we're just friends."

"Where is he, by the way?" asked Harry.

"I don't know," Hermione answered. "I think he's up in your dormitory. I haven't seen him since three o'clock."

"Harry?" Parvati said, while passing him on her way out. "I asked Padma. Cho refused to say anything to her. I think you should talk to her yourself, but Padma said Cho is afraid to set her foot outside the Rawenclaw tower." Parvati looked very pleased with herself, although her eyes reflected sadness beyond words.

"What was that about?" asked Hermione.

"Well, I asked her to ask Padma how Cho is." Harry explained. Hermione looked shocked. "Don't say you asked Parvati to find out how Cho is?" she exclaimed. Harry looked confused. "Why shouldn't I?" he asked.

"Harry, are you blind? Parvati is in love with you. She's been ever since first grade, I think. Why do you think she was so mad at you after the Yule ball? You didn't pay any attention to her, you didn't care about anybody but Cho!"

"But… I thought she liked that boy from Beauxbatons…" Harry protested. "She was going on and on about him…"

"She tried to make you jealous, Harry! Parvati is in love with you, and you asked her to find out how Cho is… Harry, how could you!" sighed Hermione, forgetting, that she herself had been so blinded by Krum that she hadn't noticed Ron's affection.

It took a moment, before Harry understood what she had just said. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed. "Oh no!"

****

Well, this is turning out to be a pretty good series. Thanks for all the positive reviews I got for the first part! Please review this, too!!!


	3. Chapter III (still trying to come up wit...

This is the third part of my "Christmas at Hogwarts" -series. And yes, I'm writing more…

"Ron?" Harry asked when he entered the dormitory. "Are you in here?"

There was no answer. The hangings were pulled in front of Ron's bed. "Ron?" Harry asked. "Are you here?"

Harry was just about to pull back the hangings, when Pigwidgeon slipped in through the window, which had been left on gap. He turned his back to Harry, and started to pull in a heavy envelope. He flew towards Harry, struggling with the envelope, flew a little bit higher, and dropped it on Harry's head.

"Ouch! Watch out!" Harry exclaimed. Pigwidgeon didn't care, he just twittered happily. Harry threw a look on the handwriting. "This is from Sirius! But… I sent it with Hedwig. What happened, Pig?"

Pigwidgeon ignored him, and started knocking on the window with his minimal beak. Harry hurried to the window, and opened it a bit more. The wind took hold of it and slammed it open, and in flew a soaking Hedwig, who clapped his beak angrily at Harry.

"I'm sorry, Hedwig," Harry said. He gave the owls a handful of owl treats. "Share them," he said, before leaving the dormitory and walking down the stairs to the common room, where Hermione was still sitting.

"I got the answer from Si… um… Snuffles!" he called to her. He walked over to her, and sat down. "What are you writing?" he asked. Hermione stuffed the piece of parchment, which she had been working on, away. "It's just a letter to Victor," she said and blushed. 

"Say hello from me," Harry said. He opened the letter from Sirius.

Hi Harry [it read]

Dumbledore wrote to me, too, so I already knew what had happened. You should stop accusing yourself. I can't say it was right of you to use "Avada Kedavra", but you probably saved Cho's (and your) life with it. Hermione, you're a sensible girl, try to convince Harry of that it wasn't his fault. 

You say you didn't mean to use the curse. Dumbledore suggested that it might have to do with your connection to Voldemort. You know his theory about Voldemorts and your connection? I can't say I agree with him completely, but a part of the theory makes sense. Voldemort sure isn't a person that would draw himself from using it, as you know.

You didn't kill Voldemort, and if you had, no one would blame you. Not in those circumstances, nor for killing Voldemort. He said himself, that you couldn't hurt him. He probably knew what he was talking about. You split his concentration, and broke the spell. Voldemort didn't probably even get a headache, Harry. You're not a murderer.

Be very careful. I've always thought Hogwarts the safest place on earth. It probably is, but the world is an unsafe place nowadays. Keep me posted on everything that happens. And Ron and Hermione, keep your eyes open, too. And don't go out after nightfall.

Sirius

"Did it make you feel better?" asked Hermione. Harry shook his head. "It doesn't change anything…"

"There's nothing to change!" Hermione exploded. People stared at her from the other tables at common room. She lowered her voice. "If you don't stop feeling sorry for yourself, I'll have to write to Sirius and ask him to come here. You know very well he will come, if you need him."

Harry glared at her. "You wouldn't!"

"Try me," Hermione said sternly. "I hate being harsh, but you simply refuse to understand. Voldemort is after you, Harry. Stop being so selfish. It doesn't help anyone. If you for a second thought about anyone else, you would see, how stupid you are. You're just like Lockhart, lots of pretty words, but no courage."

"And you're just like Malfoy! Other people have feelings too, Hermione!" Harry shouted back. Hermione bit her lip, and for a moment, none of them spoke. Then Harry said slowly: "I'm sorry. Thanks for showing how stupid I was."

"More than stupid. But I understand. If it had been me, I don't know what I would have done…" Hermione stood up. "I think I'd better go and get some sleep. Good night." Then she suddenly remembered. "Did you see Ron?"

"No, but I think he was in bed already. I can check now, though. He's probably asleep." Harry answered.

"Oh well, goodnight then!"

"Goodnight, Hermione," Harry said, and walked up to the dormitory. He suddenly felt very tired. He changed into his pyjamas and climbed to his bed. Then he realised he hadn't checked on Ron. "He's probably asleep already, and wouldn't want to be woken," he thought before falling asleep.

Cho lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She was thinking about yesterday. The kiss. Harry had kissed her! Harry Potter was in love with her!

She felt a bit guilty. She wasn't exactly in love with Harry. He was nice, but… He was good looking, and clever, too… The best thing about him was, though, that he was Harry Potter. The Harry Potter. 

There was something else, though. She had only just recently started to realise exactly how nice and good looking and clever he was. She thought, that if she allowed herself to, she could be falling in love with him.

He had protected her. Cho didn't remember much about what happened in her meeting with Voldemort, but she remembered not one, but two voices shrieking "Avada Kedavra". Harry had risked life sentence in Azkaban for her.

But she remembered something else, too. It was the handsome face of Cedric Diggory, which rose between her and Harry. If it wasn't for him, she might even fall in love…

She didn't want to betray him. She had loved him. She still did. She couldn't just "forget and move on", like everyone said that she should. Well, Harry didn't say that…

Harry understood, he had been there himself. But not even he understood, that she didn't want a new relationship. No one would ever replace Cedric. No one! No one, not the Daily Prophet, nor any other newspaper had told the truth about his death. If she didn't remember, no one would. She couldn't let that happen. She owed him so much. So many happy moments, so many gentle kisses and long discussions about the future… She couldn't let him down!

__

"Hermione", Ron whispered. He stroke her hand gently. "Hermione, look at me! I love you."

She tried to ignore him. "Stop it, Ron," she said. "We're just friends. Don't make things more complicated."

Ron didn't answer. Slowly he pulled her towards him, and embraced her. She tried to resist, but didn't any longer know why. She couldn't remember… Why wasn't she supposed to let this sweet feeling carry her away?

Their lips met, and they shared their first kiss. The feeling was so sweet. She couldn't understand why she had ever tried to fight it.

Suddenly another face appeared. "Victor!" Hermione cried, her heart beating faster. He just looked at her. "Why?" he asked. "Why, Herm-own-ninny?" His voice sounded sad, and the thick accent highlighted the melancholy of his words.

Suddenly Hermione couldn't understand why she was kissing Ron. "Victor, wait!" she shouted. But he was gone.

Suddenly Ron was gone, too. Hermione was all alone.

Hermione woke with a start. She lay awake a long time, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Victor. She hadn't seen him in such a long time. She finally took out a photo of him, and looked at it. He was waving his hand at her. She finally fell asleep with the photo tightly clutched in her hand.

Parvati tossed and turned on her bed. She couldn't sleep. Over and over she relived the short conversation with Harry in her head. His irritated answers when she had after long hesitation asked him if he wanted to hear what the Tarot-cards would say. She still blushed at the memory, she should have thought about that. Professor Trelawney did predict his death on every lesson, it was true… It wasn't that surprising that he didn't want to hear any predictions.

But Professor Trelawney was right, wasn't she? Harry had almost got killed several times every year that he had been at Hogwarts.

But it still was wrong of Professor to say it to his face. She shouldn't do that. Parvati felt so sorry for Harry, but she didn't know how to show it. And Lavender, her best friend, thought that Professor Trelawney was something of a half-god. Parvati couldn't say anything to her friend, could she?

Parvati was honest enough to herself that she could admit, that she had thought like Lavender, too. But it was ages ago…

She had been so happy while talking to Harry today. She had sat so near him, and they had talked about things, that she could only talk with Padma, and sometimes Lavender, about. She had been so happy, so happy… She had thought, that he had finally understood, how much she cared about him. She had thought, that he felt the same way about her.

Parvati sighed. Harry didn't care about her, he had shown that all too clearly. Why couldn't she just stop loving him? She didn't know. She just had a precaution that they were meant to be.

But why had he asked help from her? Did he think her feelings were something to laugh about? She most certainly didn't feel that way!

Or was he just so stupid, that he hadn't noticed?

It snowed outside. The temperature had sunk, and the heavy, wet snowflakes had turned into smaller, finer flakes, that covered the frozen ground, and the branches of the trees, turning the whole world white. Harry woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling, and climbed out of bed. He walked to the window, and looked out. A beautiful, light covering of snow lay everywhere. He yawned, and decided it was best to try to get some more sleep. He turned around, and went back to his bed. When he passed Ron's bed, the window, which hadn't been properly shut, slammed open, and the icy breeze, that came in, blew the hangings away, revealing an empty, untouched bed.

This turned out to be quite a series! More is on the way! Please review, even those who didn't like it! It would be good to know, if it is the worst piece of rubbish you've ever read… Not that I will stop writing then, though…


	4. Chapter IV (I usually have ideas for nam...

That's right, it's me again. I finally got the fourth part of Harry's and Cho's Christmas finished. I love this story but I really wouldn't have time for this right now… Oh well, school can wait!

For a second, Harry just stared at Ron's empty bed. Then he pulled his robes over his pajamas, and hurried of down the stairs, to the common room. It was empty. Harry hesitated for a second, and climbed then up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. He opened the door carefully. "Hermione?" he whispered.

It wasn't Hermione who answered. "Harry? What are you doing here?" Parvatis voice asked. 

"Ron is missing," Harry explained. "It seems, that he hasn't slept in his bed tonight. I need to talk to Hermione." He walked silently over to Hermiones bed, and draw the hangings aside. She was asleep, smiling, and holding a photo of Victor Krum. Harry prodded her carefully. "Hermione, wake up," he whispered.

"What?" she asked. "Harry, what are you doing here?"

"Schh," he hushed her. "Ron's missing. He hasn't slept in his bed tonight."

Hermione was awake at once. "But you should check on him…" she exclaimed.

"Schh, Hermione. Lavender is still asleep. We don't want to wake her up. I know I should have checked on Ron. I was just so tired, and I forgot. Hermione, he has been missing since three o'clock!"

"I saw him, a quarter past three," Parvati said quietly. "I happened to look out through a window, and saw him heading for the Forbidden Forest. Are you sure he hasn't come back?" she asked anxiously. 

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. "Quick, pull your robes on!" Harry said. "And bring your wand. I'll get the cloak, my wand and my shoes!"

"Harry, Si…" Hermione threw a look at Lavender, "…Snuffles said…"

"I know what he said. I don't care. Do you think Ron would want the whole school search for him, especially now?" He threw a meaning look at her, turned around, and walked out as fast as he could, without making too much noise. "I'll wait downstairs," he said over his shoulder.

"What are you going to do?" asked Parvati.

"We'll go looking for him," Hermione explained.

"But that's dangerous! You can't leave the school at night! It's against all rules, and You-Know-Who is out there!"

"We must find Ron," Hermione said quietly.

"But the teachers…"

"Listen, Parvati, you don't have to come, but we must. Just don't tell anyone, OK" While she was talking, Hermione had already pulled on her robes, and was now searching for her left shoe. "If we aren't back at daybreak, then go straight to Dumbledore."

"I can't stay here, Parvati exclaimed. "I'm coming with you." She climbed out of her bed.

"The cloak will cover us all, but then we come back, it may be a little tight. Harry's got an Invisibility Cloak," Hermione explained, when she saw Parvatis blank expression. "Hurry up then," she ordered.

Two minutes later they were sneaking down the stairs, down to the common room, where Harry was already waiting on them. He looked at Parvati and raised his eyebrows. "She's coming with us," Hermione explained.

Harry looked at her and raised his eyebrows. He sighed. "Fine, then. But Parvati, this could be dangerous."

"If you try to leave me here, I'll go to McGonagall," she said. "Let's go."

Harry pulled the cloak over them; he was the tallest, so he stood in the middle, with Hermione on his left and Parvati on his right side. They climbed out through the portrait hole; the Fat Lady didn't even bother to open her eyes, and walked down the stairs and out.

"What way did he take?" Harry asked Parvati. She showed the way, and they set of towards the Forest.

"Harry!" Hermione suddenly. "I know where he might be!"

"Where? You mean he wouldn't be in the Forest?" Harry's voice sounded extremely relieved.

"The Shrieking Shack! Ron could have gone there!"

"I don't know" Harry said slowly.

"Please," Hermione pleaded. "We'll just look. I have this strange feeling…"

"Well, we can check. But quick, the snowfall is turning into a blizzard. We don't have much time. Believe me, Hermione, we don't want to be in the Forest soon." They turned left, and started to walk towards the Whomping Willow.

"Um… Are you sure about this," Parvati asked tentatively. "I mean… It's haunted. Why would Ron want to go there?" Her voice shook slightly.

"It's not haunted," Hermione replied. "It was just a rumor, which Dumbledore spread. And if he wants to be alone, that is probably the best place on the grounds."

"Why would Dumbledore have spread a rumor like that?" asked Parvati. "I mean, why would anyone prefer others to believe that a house was haunted, if it isn't?"

"Lupin," Harry explained. "When he was at school, he had to spend the nights he turned into a werewolf somewhere outside the school. The Whomping Willow hides the entrance to a gangway to the Shack."

"Look!" Hermione exclaimed. She threw the cloak of, so did Harry and Parvati. A little, furry thing, just a little bit bigger than an apple, flew towards them. "Pig!"

Pigwidgeon hooted tiredly. It was very hard for him to fly in the snowfall, his wings were covered with almost an inch of snow, and when Harry held out his hand, Pigwidgeon collapsed on it, exhausted.

"There's something on the other side of the Willow!" Parvati said. Hermione started to run towards the tree. She rounded it, and fell on knee. "Ron!" she shrieked.

Harry started to run, too. Parvati followed after him.

"How is he?" Harry asked Hermione. She didn't answer; she was busy with brushing away the snowflakes from Ron's face. Harry saw that she was crying. "I'm so sorry, Ron!" she whispered over and over again. "I'm so sorry!"

"Is he alive?" Parvati asked. "I mean, if he has been here since three o'clock…"

"He's breathing," Hermione answered absent-mindedly.

"Hermione!" Harry said. She took no notice of him. "Hermione, his clothes are frozen. We need to get him inside. Let's go!"

"Um… Harry. I don't think that's a very good idea. We won't get back to the castle. The blizzard is over us any minute now!" Parvati pointed at the clouds. "We don't have time!" 

"I thought we would have more time… We'll have to go to the shack!"

Parvati shivered. "Do we have to…?"

"There's no other place." Harry rushed forward to the Willow, ignoring Parvatis shrieks. It hit him on the shoulder, but he managed to touch the knob on the trunk. The tree froze.

"You first," he said to Parvati, but she shook her head in panic. "I can't," she said. "I'm sorry but I can't."

"I'll go," Hermione said. She raised her wand and said "Mobilicorpus". Ron's body was pulled into a standing position. Hermione climbed down through the large gap that had been opened in the roots of the tree, and Ron's body followed her. "You next," Harry said to Parvati. "I'll be right behind you. It's nothing to be afraid of." They climbed down, and set of after Hermione, who was moving forwards some twenty yards before them.

Cho lay still awake. She didn't want to sleep anymore. She was afraid for her dreams. Three different faces haunted her dreams. The pale, skull-like face of You-Know-Who. The handsome face of Cedric Diggory. And, of course, the famous face with a scar that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. The face of Harry Potter. 

Cho feared them. She feared them all, for different reasons.

The first dream was about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. How he raised his wand, and shrieked "Avada Kedavra", and a jet of green light escaped from his wand, hitting her in the chest. She was flung into total darkness, where there were no emotions, where she was all alone. Then she woke up, all alone in the darkness. She had grown to fear loneliness.

The second dream was sweet. Too sweet. She was kissing Cedric. They shared a kiss, that seemed to last for an eternity.

It seemed to last an eternity, but it never did. When she woke up alone in her bed, she felt lonelier than ever before.

The third dream was sweet, too. She was kissing Harry. He held her tight, and kissed her gently. But when she woke up, smiling, she remembered Cedric. She felt like she was betraying him.

Cho couldn't understand her feelings. She felt something towards Harry. But it couldn't be love, could it? She felt guilty for her feelings. She didn't want to forget Cedric.

Just a couple of hours ago she had thought that she could stop herself from falling in love with Harry. She had told herself, that the only thing that she was attracted to in him, was that he was Harry Potter. Now she wasn't sure anymore. When she closed her eyes, she saw him, the green eyes, the black, untidy hair, the scar that was shaped like a bolt of lightning, and she wasn't sure that she could resist him.

"His robes are frozen. We need to get them of him!" Harry said. It was easier said than done. Ron's limbs were inflexible because of the cold, and his robes had partly frozen to his sweater, but at last Harry got his robes of. Ron's jeans and sweater were wet and frozen, too, but not as badly as the robes.

"Hermione, light a fire. We must dry his robes," Harry said. Hermione, who was kneeling besides Ron, ignored him. She held his hand, and stroke his cheeks with her other hand.

"Hermione!"

"I can do it," Parvati said. She walked over to the fireplace, which was covered with dust, and placed some old, whitened firewood in it. "Indencio!" she said, and some high green flames rose from the fireplace. When the wood caught fire, the fire turned bright orange, and started to warm the room.

"Hermione," Parvati said gently. Hermione showed no signs of hearing. She lifted Ron's head in her lap, and stroke his hair. "I'm sorry, Ron," she whispered over and over again.

The weather grew steadily worse. When it was almost morning, Harry peeked out through the gaps between the boards nailed in front of the window. 

"It's not calming down, " he said. "We're still stuck in here." He sat down. "How is Ron?" he asked Hermione. She had dark circles under her eyes, but she refused to let go of Ron's hand.

"I don't know," she said. "He hasn't woken up. This is all my fault!"

"Hermione, you couldn't have stopped him, and you didn't know. Do you wish that you had answered him in some other way?"

"No, but…"

"Hermione, you have done everything you could. You can't do anything else. No, try to sleep, and you too, Parvati." Harry turned towards Parvati. "What is it?" Parvatis eyes were bulging out, and she started to scream.

"Sirius Black!" She screamed. "Oh my God, Sirius Black! He's going to kill us all! We're going to die like rats in here!" She quickly drew her wand and pointed at someone behind Harry's back.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry heard a familiar voice shout, at the same time as he wheeled around. Parvati screamed higher. Harry felt a wave of enormous relief shake him, when he saw Sirius familiar face.

"Shut up, Parvati!" Harry yelled. "It's OK!" She ignored him.

Parvatis scream made Hermione finally act. She stood up. "Parvati, listen!" she yelled, but Parvati paid no attention to her words. She just screamed hysterically. "I'm sorry, Parvati," Hermione said. She took two steps forward and slapped Parvati hard in the face. The screaming stopped abruptly. Parvati looked shocked, but at least she was quiet.

"Um… Hi Sirius," Hermione said in an attempt to raise the spirit in the cabin. It didn't work. Sirius looked at her. Then he turned his eyes on Harry. "Would you mind telling me exactly what you are doing here?"

"We didn't get to the castle in time, before the blizzard, so we had to seek shelter from here…" Hermione began to explain, but Sirius interrupted her. "I didn't ask you. I asked my godson. And I do happen to know that though the snowfall started in the afternoon, the weather became worse only after three o'clock this morning. Would you mind telling me why you left the castle, when I told you not to. And you have put some of your friends in danger, too, I see. Do you enjoy dueling with Voldemort that much, that you have to try to find him? Your last letter didn't sound like that," Sirius added sarcastically.

"We didn't have any choice," Harry said dully. "Ron was missing. We had to go looking for him. And we found him, injured, and then we didn't have time to get to the castle before the blizzard…"

"Why did you go looking for him alone? Why didn't you tell Dumbledore? And what is she doing here?" Sirius pointed at Parvati. "If you three want to get killed, fine with me, but you shouldn't endanger other peoples lives! You have chosen your company badly, miss…" Sirius directed his last words to Parvati.

"I think someone should tell me what is going on here," Parvati said. Her voice was steady now, and she looked at Sirius. "I don't know what this is, but if you are, whom I think you are, we're in a bit of trouble, or I've heard a fairly reduced version."

"I am Sirius Black." Sirius introduced himself. "And I'm trying to find out why my godson, Harry, wasn't in his dormitory this morning, and why isn't eating his breakfast in the Great Hall right now."

"This may be a rude question," said Parvati with a voice that shook slightly, "but why do you care? I was under the impression that you are a convicted murderer."

"He is innocent," said Hermione. "We know it, the real murderer and double-crosser was Peter Pettigrew. Dumbledore knows it, too."

"Peter Pettigrew is dead. He was murdered by Sirius Black, wasn't he?" said Parvati.

"It's a long story, and we do not have time for it right now," said Sirius. "You fools are in immediate danger! You're lucky Dumbledore noticed you were missing. I Apparated as soon as we got you located. I was afraid I would come too late. What were you thinking of, sneaking of like that?"

"We wanted to find Ron…" Harry started.

"I see. Why had Ron left the castle? Why didn't you go to Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore?"

"It was so late…" Harry began again.

"Oh. I see. You didn't want to disturb them?"

"Well, we thought Ron might not want the whole school to know…"

"Oh, really. Yeah, I think that he would have wanted you all killed, wouldn't he?" Sirius asked sarcastically. "Of course."

"Ron left because of…" Hermione started and bit her lip, with a quick glance on Parvati.

"Because of what?" Sirius asked. "It really doesn't matter, though. You haven't really been able to help him. How long has he been unconscious?"

"We don't know," Hermione said. "Probably since half past three."

"We need to get you out of here. You're in mortal danger. What did you think of?" Sirius said. "Dumbledore is trying to get this fireplace connected to the Floo Network. You can't Apparate, so you can't get out of here. Dumbledore is inside Hogwarts, so he can't Apparate here. Dumbledore can't travel with Floo powder, because the fires inside Hogwarts only can be used to talk with people in the other end, not traveling. He's trying to fix that too, but he can't send any owls in this weather, and there's yet no one in the Floo Network office. I was the only one who could get here - the only one we can trust. Dumbledore is trying to get help, Remus, Moody and some others, but right now, we're on our own. Let's just hope I can keep you alive until the help comes."

"Excuse me," Parvati said, "but why do you think we're in danger. It's just a blizzard."

"So you decided not to tell her anything?" Sirius asked sarcastically. 2Just wait and see when she gets it, before or after Voldemort arrives," Parvati jumped slightly at the name "or maybe when he draws his wand and shouts 'Avada Kedavra', or maybe after that. Did you bet on it, too?"

"Why would You-Know-Who come here?" asked Parvati.

"Why? Because of Harry, of course. Yesterday he appeared in Hogwarts, inside the castle, and today you fools go out in the middle of the night, without telling anyone, and go outside the grounds. I'm surprised at you, Harry. And you, Hermione. What were you thinking at? And to take her with you!" Sirius nodded towards Parvati.

"Voldemort doesn't know where we are!" exclaimed Harry.

Sirius looked at him. "You don't think he can find you? I could. Dumbledore can. Do you actually believe that the most powerful dark wizard that has ever lived can't locate you?" Sirius shook his head in disgust. He walked over to Ron, and pointed his wand at him. "Wakios!" he muttered, and Ron opened his eyes and raised his head slowly. "Where am I?" he asked. "What's happened?"

"Let's go!" Sirius said. "We're going to the tunnel. It's inside Hogwarts grounds, so Voldemort can't Apparate there. He can still Apparate here, though, but we will see him coming."

"It's too late," a soft, cold, high-pitched voice said from behind their backs. Parvati screamed. Harry, Sirius and Hermione wheeled around, Harry and Hermione searching for their wands. And there, ready to meet them, stood a long, thin man, dressed in robes of black velvet. His scarlet, livid eyes gleamed viciously, the slits he had for nostrils vibrated slightly of excitement, and the thin lips curled into a cruel smile.

Lord Voldemort was ready to meet his worst enemy.

I'll send part five as soon as I get it finished. But please review this!!!!! I've gotten eight reviews for the first part, six for the second and the third. Please do review (it doesn't take that long…)!!!!! Flames are welcome, too! But this is my story, so I won't change peoples feelings about each other just because of your flames, I just want to read your opinions. If you don't like this part, write your own version of "Harry's and Cho's Christmas, part 4". 


	5. Chapter V

This is the fifth part of my "Harry's and Cho's Christmas" –fic. I'll let it talk for itself!!! Read and review!!!

Cho tried not to look at the Gryffindor house table. She was sitting in the Great Hall, in the Rawenclaw table, having breakfast. She didn't feel hungry, though. She felt tired; she hadn't slept at all. The horror in the room of mirrors, and the faces of Cedric and Harry, had haunted her dreams, appearing as soon as she had shut her eyes. She felt so tired.

Cho glanced at the teachers' table. All of the teachers looked worried, except maybe for Professor Trelawney, who smiled happily, as through all of her dreams had come true. Professor Snape was talking to Professor McGonagall, and there was no trace of the usual rivalry in their faces. They looked like they were best friends, facing a deadly enemy, prepared to die for each other.

Cho tried not to look at the Gryffindor table, but she could not help glancing at it, looking for a trace of Harry. He hadn't come down for breakfast. She just wanted to look at him… No! She just wanted to see him, that's all. Just see him, nothing more. And maybe apologize, for what happened in the room with the mirrors. Cho nodded. Just see him, and apologize. Nothing more.

Just a quick glance more towards the Gryffindor table…

Oh, why did she have to care about him? She had loved Cedric, hadn't she? How could she forget him? Harry was just a little stupid brat, who had a stupid crush on her. Why should she care? She turned away, but soon again she found herself staring at the Gryffindor house table. "For heavens sake!" she muttered angrily and stood up, with the intention to leave the room.

Suddenly, Cho had a strange feeling in her chest. It was like a large weight had landed on her chest, not letting her breathe. It didn't hurt; it just felt… strange? She found no other word for it.

Cho's lungs began to ache for air, but the weight didn't move. She began to feel panic rising in her. "I must breathe!" she thought. She tried to say something, scream, anything, but couldn't. As through a thick glass, she saw Professor Dumbledore enter the room. She thought he looked worried, but couldn't tell for sure, the world looked misty and had darkened into grayish colors. She tried to breathe, but the weight on her chest only increased. She saw Professor Snape running out through the door. Professor Dumbledore was hurrying towards her, followed by Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. Cho's field of vision darkened into black, and little stars were swirling in front of her eyes. She couldn't stand up any longer; her legs wouldn't support her anymore. She was falling, but it felt like an eternity, before she hit the ground. Suddenly the weight on her chest exploded to pain. It felt like fire, or maybe melted iron or something like that filled her veins, and burned her to ash. She was burning; her lungs were on fire. As through a thick wall she heard Dumbledore's voice, saying "Voldemort."

Cho lost consciousness. 

***

Dumbledore felt it. Someone new had arrived to the cabin. Someone new, someone evil. Voldemort was in the Shrieking Shack!

Dumbledore hurried to the Great Hall, to the teachers' table. "Minerva, Severus, I need your help!" he said. "Severus, we should be connected to the Floo Network any minute now. Go to the Shrieking Shack." Professor Snape left the room, running. Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall. "Minerva…" he began, but was interrupted by a concerning sight; from the corner of an eye, he saw Cho Chang, who was standing up, gasping for air. He turned around, running to her, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick following him.

Cho fell. She was wrestling, Dumbledore could see she was in pain. "Voldemort!" he said ignoring the uneasy looks he got from the people around him. "Poppy!" he shouted. "Come over here, please! Quickly!"

"Take her up to the hospital wing," Dumbledore ordered. Then he felt someone touch his arm. He looked around and saw Padma Patil.

"Excuse me," she said, "but I'm worried about Parvati…"

"This really isn't the time," Professor McGonagall interrupted.

"But she's missing," Padma insisted. "I asked Lavender Brown, and she said, that she hasn't seen Parvati today. And then she said, that Hermione Granger is missing, too, and Harry and Ron, so…" Her voice dried out when he saw the look on Dumbledore's face.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Professor McGonagall.

"I'm sorry Padma, I don't have time with this right now," Dumbledore said. "I can assure you that I'll do everything to bring her back alive. Now, go to the hospital wing with Professor Flitwick. You could keep company to Cho Chang. Explain what's happened to her, Flitwick," he ordered, turned around and left the room, followed by Professor McGonagall.

"Now, come here," Professor Flitwick said gently. Padma followed him silently. She felt empty inside. Dumbledore's words hammered inside her head "…to bring her back alive…" It couldn't be that bad, could it?

"What has happened?" she asked Professor Flitwick, with a voice that trembled slightly.

***

Professor Sibylla Trelawney felt very pleased with herself. She had told the boy. She had warned him. He had ignored her warning, several times. He had been very stupid in doing that. She made a disapproving sound. She had warned him, and he had ignored it. He deserved his fate. Of course, it wouldn't have done any difference, when dying young was his fate.

She looked disapprovingly at Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper, who seemed to be close to tears. She had never liked him, he was just something like an experiment that had failed. She couldn't understand why Dumbledore was keeping that big, untidy… THING in Hogwarts, and even letting him teach here.

Hagrid suddenly seemed to realize that she was there. "Aren't yeh going out lookin' for 'em?" he asked. "I'd be, but Dumbledore said that I should stay here an' keep order here." Sibylla Trelawney snorted. Hagrid? Keeping order somewhere?

"It's no use," she told him. "They won't get there in time…" she was interrupted by Hagrid's howl.

"What do yeh mean 'it's too late'?" he bellowed. "They aren't dead yet" he howled, ignoring the heads that were turning in their direction.

Sibylla Trelawney lifted carefully her cup of tea. "It's his fate," she answered with a quiet, misty voice. "I have told him it over and over again…"

Again Sibylla was interrupted by Hagrid's bellowing. "Are yeh mad?" Hagrid rose up, and gave accidentally the table a hard shove, which caused the table hitting her, and making her drop the cup. When Hagrid left the room, she felt that her good mood was blown away.

***

Lord Voldemort snapped his long, skeletonlike fingers. Out of nowhere came robes that bound Sirius, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Parvati.

Voldemort laughed, a victorious, cold laugh. Harry thought that the worst thing about the laugh was that it wasn't insane. It was a cruel, bloodthirsty, icy laugh, and it belonged to someone, who had a very firm grip of reality. Of the reality, that would let him win.

"Well, well," said Voldemort softly. "Look who we have here!" He smiled. "Two of you I know, but the rest of you… Maybe you could introduce us, Harry."

Harry looked at Voldemort. He didn't say anything.

"The longer you speak, the longer you live," Voldemort added sweetly. Harry still refused to answer.

Voldemort stepped forwards, and leaned towards Harry. "The longer you speak, the longer your friends will live," he hissed. "I'm going to kill you last of all."

"Do you let them live if I obey you?" Harry asked, fighting to keep his voice steady.

"No," Voldemort smiled. Harry heard Parvati trying to stifle her sobs. Voldemorts smile grew broader. "But I'd really like to know who I'm killing. Answer me! Imperio!"

Again, Harry felt his mind being wiped away. The stronger voice woke in the back of his head, though. Harry threw the wonderful feeling of with a shrug.

"You shouldn't have let the false Moody teach me that," he said.

"Well, now I at least know, what you can," Voldemort smiled, but Harry saw irritation behind the smile. "He's someone I'd really like to discuss with you again. He was a faithful servant, Harry. If it weren't for you, he'd still be with me, act as my right hand."

"He wouldn't," spat Harry. "I saw his trial. He denied you. He denied you, to get out of Azkaban!"

Voldemorts smile died out. "You're lying," he said.

"I saw it," Harry answered. "In Dumbledore's Pensieve. Bartemius Crouch denied you in court."

"This discussion doesn't lead anywhere," Voldemort said abruptly. "If you won't tell, who these people are, I'll have to persuade you a bit. Crucio!"

Hermione started to scream. She was wrestling. Harry threw one quick glance at her. "She's Hermione Granger!" he yelled. Hermione stopped screaming, and lay gasping for breath and shivering. Ron looked at her anxiously. "The other girl is Parvati Patil. The boy is Ron Weasley," Harry finished.

"See? It wasn't that hard," Voldemort said, smiling again. "I'm delighted to hear, that you understand what is best for you. Let's see, who am I going to kill first?"

"Me?" asked a cold voice slowly from the fireplace. "Expelliarmus! Stupefy!" Voldemort fell heavily to the ground, bound by the curse, and his wand landed a few feet from him.

Never before had Harry been so delighted to see Severus Snape. Snape stepped into the room, and snapped his fingers. The ropes that had tied Harry and the others vanished.

"You have much to explain, Potter," Snape said softly.

"I'm sorry. Thank you, Snape." Harry looked, as he had never had to say anything worse. He turned towards Sirius. "I'm sorry," he said again.

Sirius didn't answer; he just embraced Harry tightly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you," he said. "I was just so worried."

"I'm sorry, too," said Ron. "I shouldn't have run away like that." He refused to look at Hermione.

"I should never have taken you with us," Harry said to Parvati. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Friends?" 

Parvati nodded. She smiled, but in her smile was something sad. Harry embraced her. "I know what you feel," he whispered, too quietly for the others to hear. "I'm sorry, but… you know I lo… like Cho Chang. But friends?" He then let go extremely quickly, as though only then realizing, what he was doing. Padma nodded. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "I'm sorry!" they all said at the same time, and hugged each other, laughing and crying at the same time.

***

Cho woke up in the hospital bed. "Where am I?" she asked.

Padma looked at her. Cho saw that her eyes were red, but she wiped her eyes when she saw that Cho was awake. "You're in the hospital wing," she answered.

"What's happened?" Cho asked.

"You had some sort of fit of fainting," Padma answered. "In the Great Hall, during breakfast, remember? Professor Dumbledore sent me here to keep you company." She then started weep again. "I'm sorry, I can't stop crying. Parvati's missing," she explained between the sobs. "She wasn't at the breakfast, and I asked Dumbledore, and he said… He said that she was with Ron and Harry and Hermione in the Shrieking Shack, and that You-Know-Who would be there…"

"You mean…"

"They don't know, if she's alive!" sobbed Padma.

"And Harry is there too?" asked Cho blankly.

Padma nodded. Cho felt empty inside. It was like she didn't have feelings any longer, until they suddenly returned, wiping away the shock. "No, not again!" she wailed.

Padma looked at her. Cho looked back. Then they hugged each other, crying. They knew that both of them felt the same.

***

Snape walked over to Sirius. "Thank you," Sirius said. They looked at each other, and then Sirius embraced Snape. He let go extremely quickly, though. "You arrived in time," he said shortly.

"I should maybe have let him kill you," Snape smiled. "Then we would be even."

"Can't we bury that old thing already?" asked Sirius, looking uncomfortable. Harry couldn't believe his ears, but Snape actually laughed, a heartily laugh. "It's forgotten," he said.

In a corner of an eye, Harry saw something moving. He saw Voldemorts hand grab his wand, and suddenly realized, too late, that a Stunning Spell maybe wouldn't hold the most powerful wizard of all time. "Shieldios! Imperio!" he heard Voldemort say, and, recognizing the Shield Charm, knew that the only thing that could touch Voldemort now, was the Avada Kedavra, and, when the rest of them were controlled by the Imperius Curse, he was the only one, who could act. He tried to say it, tried to act, but couldn't. He couldn't say the words, they refused to come. Harry Potter could not utter the Killing Curse, not even though it was a matter of live and death. Once he had done it, and it had once too many. He just couldn't.

"You're going to die, all of you," Voldemort laughed. "Even you, Severus!"

Harry realized, who Voldemort was going to kill, a second before it was too late. Throwing of the Imperius Curse, he flung himself in front of Parvati, at the same time as Voldemorts shriek echoed in the Shack:

"Avada Kedavra!"

Just one more part!!! But I really wouldn't have time right now… Would you mind, if I finish it in… let's say two or three weeks…?

Just kidding! I've already started working on it, and believe, it will be sad (I've already used **lots **tissues…) And after it, there will probably be an epilogue.

**Two More Parts!!!**

_(Be a responsible reader, and _**_review!!!!!!!!_**_)_


	6. Chapter VI, the final part

Alright, part 6 is here… I'll let you read first, some notes can be found in the end.

Disclaimer: I owe none of these characters, I own only this plot.

Padma Patil and Cho Chang were talking. They talked mostly about Harry. In Padma, Cho found a friend, who did have time to listen. Talking to Padma made Cho understand her feelings better. She understood that she shouldn't spend her whole life grieving for Cedric, and that falling in love with someone else wouldn't necessarily be forgetting Cedric. Maybe she wasn't ready yet, but she would be. Someday… A sharp pain in her chest interrupted her thoughts. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

"Cho!" She heard Padma's voice, but it sounded like it was a million miles away. "Cho! What is it?" And then: "Madame Pomfrey! Madame Pomfrey! Cho's having some sort of fit!"

***

Albus Dumbledore felt it. Avada Kedavra. Hadn't Severus gotten there in time? Who had uttered the words? Who had released the Killing Curse? Voldemort?

Instantly, he knew it was Voldemort. Somewhere, deep inside, he knew that it was Voldemort, who had used the curse.

He hoped Voldemort had failed again.

Dumbledore stepped into the fire. "The Shrieking Shack!" he said, feeling fear for his friends clutching his chest.

***

"Avada Kedavra!"

An indefinable, spine-chilling sound hurled through the air.

Ron Weasley heard the voice and saw the flash of green light lighten up the cabin. He couldn't believe it! You-Know-Who was stunned! This didn't happen. It couldn't be happening. They had already gotten away, hadn't they? The blizzard was about to end. They had already gotten away! Ron was standing with his back towards Voldemort, but he could still hear the muffled sound of - not one, but two! - corpses falling to the ground. The Imperius Curse vanished suddenly, and Ron wheeled around. Numb disbelief filled him.

"Oh my God! Oh no!"

***

"Avada Kedavra!"

An indefinable, spine-chilling sound hurled through the air.

Even though her mind was somewhere else, taken away by the Imperius Curse, Hermione Granger realized what the words meant. Behind her she heard the sound of a corpse hitting the floor. She saw the lifeless body, holding a wand, fall to the ground. The Imperius Curse was thrown of. She wheeled around. For a second, she couldn't believe what she saw. Then her brain started to accept it. The shock made the scene in front of her easier to bear, but it still wasn't enough. Tears started to fall down on her face, but she didn't even notice them. She stood as paralyzed, watching the horrible scene.

***

"Avada Kedavra!"

An indefinable, spine-chilling sound hurled through the air.

Severus Snape heard the words. He had already nearly conquered the curse, and the words, the horror that the words brought to him, made him shrug of the curse.

There was a sound of first one, then another body falling.

Snape wheeled around, towards Voldemort, and stared with disbelief on him. Then he backed, and looked at both of the corpses laying on the floor. He didn't know what to say. He just stared shocked on the two corpses.

***

"Avada Kedavra!"

An indefinable, spine-chilling sound hurled through the air.

Parvati Patil heard the words. She saw whom You-Know-Who was pointing at. She struggled to shut her eyes, fought the curse that much. The green glow shone through her eyelids. Then she heard two bodies hit the floor. The Imperius Curse vanished, and Parvati opened hopefully her eyes. The sight that met her made her first gasp for breath in horror. She started to scream.

***

"Avada Kedavra!"

An indefinable, spine-chilling sound hurled through the air.

Sirius Black was bound by the Imperius Curse. He was forced to watch, when the green bolt of lightning escaped from the end of Voldemorts wand. He couldn't turn his head to follow it, but heard the sickening sound of a corpse hitting the floor. He then saw to his astonishment Voldemort fall, and the effect of the Imperius Curse vanished. Sirius turned towards the other corpse. At the same time Dumbledore steeped to the room through the fireplace.

Sirius heard Parvati scream. Ron was staring horrorstruck at something. Hermione wept silently.

Then Sirius saw Harry. He was lying on the floor, unblemished but unmistakably dead.

Sirius pushed his way past Ron and Hermione. They seemed to be in shock, neither of them moved or said anything. They just watched.

Sirius fell on knee beside Harry. He didn't feel any numb disbelief or shock that would have numbed the pain. He understood very clearly, what had happened. That Harry, his godson, was dead.

He couldn't weep, the grief felt like it was beyond bearable. He straightened Harry's limbs, and shut carefully his eyelids. He brushed gently the black, untidy hair, and clasped his hands onto his chest. Then he transformed into the great, black dog that Harry had, when he had first seen it, feared, and then grown to like. Sirius howled out his misery.

***

Albus Dumbledore looked at the scene. There was Parvati, who was screaming, Hermione, who stood weeping silently. No, now she started to move. She moved over to Parvati, and slapped her. Parvati's scream changed to sobs. Ron was muttering to him self, wearing an expression of shock and disbelief. Severus stood as paralyzed, and Sirius, who had transformed into a great, black dog, was howling. And the corpses of Harry Potter and Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, were lying on the floor.

Dumbledore looked out through the window. The blizzard was calming down. Dark clouds hid still the sky from view, and snow was still falling, but the wind had calmed down.

Dumbledore stepped to the body of Lord Voldemort. He straightened Voldemorts limbs, and shut the eyes, hiding the victorious look. Voldemort hadn't even had time to understand what had gone wrong. That anything had gone wrong.

Dumbledore sighed. He bent down to stroke Harry's hair and one single tear fell down on his wrinkled cheek, to disappear in his white beard. He felt grief for losing one of his favorite students. At the same time he felt victorious; after over twenty years of fear they had finally conquered Voldemort! 

Dumbledore couldn't help thinking that the prize was too high.

***

Remus Lupin read the letter. He threw some Floo Powder in the fire, stepped in and said "Shrieking Shack."

He would never be able to forget the scene he was met by at the Shack. Two girls, whom were weeping silently, somehow finding comfort in each other's presence. Two corpses lying on the floor. A boy, who was standing looking down at his friends corpse. A man, with greasy black hair and a black goatee, staring at the bodies. The old man, his head bowed, and his silvery white beard reaching down to the floor. And a black dog, howling out an unspeakable loss.

It took a second for Lupin to realize what he was seeing. Always, when he thought back of that moment, he first remembered the scene, and the wave of disbelief. First after that he realized what he was seeing, that it was his friends, standing there… That it was the feared Lord Voldemort, lying on the floor. And that the other body belonged to one of his former students, to Harry Potter, whom had been killed, taking with him to the other side his murderer, the most feared of all wizards, Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Lord Voldemort had finally been defeated, but it had cost the Wizarding world a hero, the boy, who had escaped Lord Voldemort not once, but four times.

Lupin felt a burning feeling in his throat. He repressed all of the feeling raging inside him. "Sirius," he said gently. "We'll have to get them to the castle." The black dog didn't answer.

Lupin sighed. He waved he's wand and muttered "Stretcher!" A stretcher appeared. "Sirius," he said again. "I'm sure you do want to help to lift him on the stretcher. He deserves respect… You could help too…" He directed the last words to Ron, Parvati and Hermione. "Harry would want that…"

Sirius returned to his human form. He's face was twisted of grief and sorrow, when he kneeled beside Harry. So did Snape, Ron, Parvati and Hermione. "On three," said Dumbledore quietly. "One, two, three…" They lifted carefully the body of young Harry Potter to the stretcher. His limbs were already stiffened by death, and his face felt cold towards Parvatis fingers, when she touched the scar on his forehead.

Lupin looked out through the window. "The blizzard is over," he said. "The wind has died down, though it's still snowing a bit. I guess were going to bear him to the castle in the traditional way…"

"We are," Sirius said tonelessly. "I owe him that much." He crabbed one of the handles. Dumbledore, Snape and Lupin took the others. Dumbledore waved his wand at the other corpse on the floor. "Mobilicorpus!" he said, and the corpse rose a feet in the air and started to float. The funeral procession started to walk slowly towards the Hogwarts castle, which was dimly visible behind the village of Hogsmead. They all had their heads bent down, and all of their faces reflected self-accusations, regrets and grief. All of them had a heavy burden of sorrow to bear.

So… There **will** be an epilogue, that explains all of the questions this leaves (at least it's supposed to…)

Please do review!!! Flames welcome too, but I warn you: I do **not** write alternative endings. I'm sorry, but I can't. It's impossible. I just can't. But you can write an alternative ending yourself, if you don't like mine. Just mail me about it, I want to read it…

Review, or I won't post the epilogue!!!! This is still blackmail, and still unfair to those who review, but I won't post the epilogue if you don't review. And honest reviews, please…


	7. Epilogue

I'm really sorry this took so long . It wasn't because of the reviews, even though 17 reviews to over 100 hits isn't that much… My other computer, on which I wrote this, crashed, so I couldn't post this part. This wasn't really my fault…

There's some more notes at the end.

Just wanted to say I'm sorry.

Professor McGonagall looked out through a window. She saw the fellowship walk towards the castle. She hurried to the Entrance Hall, where curious students were already gathering, eager to know what had happened. "Everyone, go to your Common Rooms! You'll get more information then from the heads of your Houses!" she said. She then magically magnified her voice, and repeated the sentence. The words echoed in every corner of the school, but the students in the Entrance Hall didn't move. She clapped her hands. "Now, please!" Slowly, the crowd started to move. Professor McGonagall stepped out and closed the doors behind her. She saw four men, four litter carriers. There was someone lying on the litter. Behind them came three smaller figures, walking slowly in the snowfall. Last came a body (corpse?) flowing in mid-air.

It took a few seconds, before Professor McGonagall realized whom she saw. She saw what she had feared to see in five years, since the son of her two favorite students, James Potter and Lily Evans (Professor McGonagall had always trouble remembering that Lily had taken her husbands name) had arrived to Hogwarts. The body on the stretcher was Harry Potter. His expression was peaceful, his eyes closed, and his hands clasped on his chest. He was dead.

Professor McGonagall fought to keep her feelings in check. She could cry later, right now she would have to know what had happened and take care of the survivors, and find a way to inform her House about this.

She turned her attention towards the four men, she wasn't sure if she could look at the body of Harry Potter any longer without bursting into tears.

The men were Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape. 

She trusted Dumbledore, but this was a bit too much. "Sirius Black?" she said out loud. How on earth could Dumbledore have Sirius Black, the murderer of James and Lily, carrying Harry Potter's body? Furiously she opened her mouth, but couldn't think of anything she could say.

Dumbledore raised his free hand. Professor McGonagall shut her mouth, both because of Dumbledore's gesture and the look on Sirius' face. It was sadness, deeper and more unbearable grief that she had ever seen in anyone's expression. Dumbledore started to talk.

"Yes, Minerva, it's him. Fourteen years ago he was falsely accused for being a Death-Eater and sent to Azkaban, from where he escaped two year ago, and has been in hiding since. Could you please open the door?"

Stunned, Professor McGonagall obeyed. Sirius Black, innocent? Falsely accused? "But what…?" she started.

"We're on our way to the hospital wing, Minerva," Dumbledore said. "If you could please follow us? I will explain it to you soon. First, go and get Professors Sprout and Flitwick."

Professor McGonagall obeyed.

***

Cho Chang was lying on her bed, eyes closed. She pretended to be asleep. She didn't want any questions or any visitors. She had drawn the hangings in front of her four-poster. The room was too big, too bright. It was the largest of the rooms in the hospital wing. Cho would have preferred something smaller.

Cho heard the door open. She opened her eyes, and saw through the hangings the figures of first four, and then three more people. The first four seemed to be carrying on something heavy.

Cho's curiosity took the best of her. She sat up and peered through the hangings.

Cho saw three backs that screened the thing they had been carrying on from view. One of the backs she recognized immediately, it belonged to Professor Snape, and another strongly resembled her of someone she should know… Professor Lupin? Could it be him? What was he doing here? The third back seemed to belong to a fairly young man with black hair. Somehow, it felt kind of familiar, too.

Professor Dumbledore was standing on the opposite side. He gave Cho's four-poster a sharp look, and she drew her face away from the hangings. Soon again, she found herself spying on the scene, though.

The other three people were Ron, Hermione and Parvati. Cho felt happy for Padma's sake, but she also felt fear for Harry. Something dark and icy seemed to be holding her heart in a firm grip.

Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout entered the room. 

"Ron, Parvati, your siblings are waiting to see you…" started Professor McGonagall, but Dumbledore shook his head. "Wait!" he said heavily. His eyes were sad. "I'd like you to stay here until we know exactly what happened. Sirius, could you tell us?"

Cho stifled a cry of amazement. Sirius Black? It couldn't be! And yet it was… She now realized why he had seemed so familiar.

Sirius started to talk. His voice was deep but quiet, and something in it made Cho just want to cry. Never before had she felt such sadness, it was like Sirius had lost something that he had loved very deeply.

"When I arrived to the cabin," Sirius began, "I must admit that I was angry with them. All of them, especially Harry. I had been so worried, and then, then he was, in perfect health [Cho felt her hopes rising] and didn't seem to understand that he was in any sort of danger. I wasted time on unimportant questions when I should have led them to safety. I'm so sorry…" His voice broke, and he put a hand in front of his eyes. Hermione walked to him.

"We shouldn't have been there," she whispered, with tears in her eyes. "It was our fault. I'm sorry, Sirius." She walked over to him, and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He didn't say anything, but hugged her tightly. Cho didn't know what to think. Where was Harry? And why was Hermione comforting a murderer?

"I stunned You-Know-Who, but I didn't think about his powers. He threw of the curse. Potter realized it in time…" Professor Snape said. Again Cho's hopes rose. "At least in time to move in front of Miss Patil and to save her life." he continued. Parvati began to sob quietly. Cho started to put together two and two. Parvati crying, the thing the four men had carried, Harry moving in front of… 

"I should have thought of it," Professor Snape blamed himself. "I should have known…"

Dumbledore looked at each of them. "Do I understand this correctly?" he asked. "You, Severus, stunned Voldemort. He then threw of the curse, and tried to attack Parvati. Harry flung himself in front of her to protect her?"

Ron started to speak. He spoke like he was in a dream, his voice sounded like it was telling about something that had happened to someone else, somewhere else.

"He threw the Imperius Curse on all of us. Harry threw it of immediately. He then flung himself in front of Parvati, almost like he had known whom You-Know-Who would try to kill first. At the same time You-Know-Who shouted Avada Kedavra [Cho felt uneasy, and she saw Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick flinch at the words.] and then Harry fell to the ground and then Voldemort fell."

"I see," Dumbledore said. He walked to another room, and came back with two wands. "Thirteen and a half inches," he said holding up one. "Yew, and the feather of a phoenix." Then he held up the other one. "Eleven inches," he said. "Holly and the feather of a phoenix. The same phoenix, actually." He sighed. "Powerful wands, both of them. Powerful wands for powerful wizards." He put away the shorter one, and held the other one tightly. "Priori Incantatem!"

A head, then shoulders and torso a torso began to blossom out from the top of the wand. Cho shrieked, so did Hermione and Parvati. Sirius looked at the figure sternly. He let go of Hermione, whom he still had been holding tightly, and stepped in front of the shadowy form of Lord Voldemort. He didn't have time to say anything, though. Another ghost started to appear. The shadow of Harry Potter.

Cho felt shocked. She realized that this had to mean that Harry was dead. It didn't feel like anything, the knowledge of him being dead. It was just like an observation. The shock numbed all her feelings.

Then Dumbledore spoke again. "Cho," he said gently. "Please draw away the hangings. You will need to see and to hear to understand."

Cho felt everyone looking in her direction. Slowly she pulled the hangings aside, and lay back to watch. It felt like everything was just a dream, from which she would wake up any time now. There were not any feelings in the dream. It just - was. She couldn't describe it better. It just was, like a theater, played right in front of her eyes. This wasn't her. She was safe up among the clouds, somewhere else. This wasn't happening to her.

The solid-looking ghost of Harry started talking. "I tried to use Avada Kedavra," he said. "I couldn't. I couldn't say the words. I'm sorry…" his voice, which sounded like an echo from a distant place, broke. "Can you forgive me, Sirius? It was stupid of me, so stupid, to take them with me. It was stupid of me to leave the castle… I'm so sorry…"

Sirius looked at him. "There's nothing to forgive," he said. "But can you forgive me for all those things I said? I wasted time on unimportant things… I love you like a son, Harry; you know that, don't you? I'm so sorry."

"And I love you like a father, Sirius, even though I never said that. It's funny, it was only afterwards that I realized that I've never said that." Harry then turned to the others. "Bye, Hermione," he said. "Bye, Ron, bye, Parvati. Goodbye, Cho." Then he looked around. "Mom and dad say 'hi'," he added, looking on Professor McGonagall, Professor Lupin, Professor Dumbledore and Sirius.

It was quiet some seconds, before he spoke again. "I'm sorry. Goodbye." The echo of his words stayed in the room, while his and You-Know-Who's shadows disappeared. It was only now, that Cho realized, that You-Know-Who hadn't said anything.

It was quiet for a long time. Then Dumbledore spoke. "Voldemort's rebirth," he said. "He didn't think about that. He never thought that he would die, if he killed Harry. Harry - Harry's blood actually - gave Voldemort life. When Harry died, Voldemort couldn't live any longer." Two tears appeared in his eyes, from where they fell down to his cheeks, and rolled down to his long, white beard. 

The reality started slowly to push through the shock Cho felt. The feeling of unreality started to disappear. She felt it first in her stomach; it was like someone clutching her insides. Then her lungs, someone was clutching them, too. And then her throat, it was a burning feeling, like she wanted to cry. Then her eyes, tears appeared in them, but she struggled to hold them back, she still hadn't realized why she was crying. 

At last, the shock was wiped again. She suddenly understood that Harry was gone. She had known it before, of course, but it was now, that she really understood it.

Cho cried. First the tears came slowly, tentatively, and then they increased. She knew Dumbledore was looking at her, but didn't care. As through a thick glass she heard his voice: "… some Sleeping Potion to them all…"

Dumbledore, Sirius, Professor Lupin, and Professor Snape took hold of the litter on which Harry lay, and carried it to the other room. Madame Pomfrey came in, and Ron, Hermione and Parvati followed her to another rooms. Then Madame Pomfrey came back, and gave Cho a small goblet with purple potion. "Drink all of it," she said. Cho took the goblet and emptied it. She became tired, and fell to dreamless sleep.

***

Hermione had changed her clothes, when Sirius came in. He had a goblet, with something purple in it. He put it on the night table and sat then on the edge of her bed.

"Madame Pomfrey wants you to drink this," he said, "but I'd like to ask you something first. Is it true what Harry said? That he loved me almost like a father?" His expression was strange, it was grief, still, but somewhere under it there was joy, or something that strongly resembled of it.

"I think it is true," Hermione whispered. "You were almost like a father to him, you were something that he had never had before…"

"But what about his Muggle relatives then?"

Hermione laughed, but the laughter turned to weeping. "They didn't care about him, Sirius. At least he thought so… Somewhere, deep inside they might have cared, at least a little bit, but they never told him. You were the only one he had, Sirius…"

Sirius couldn't seem to find any words. He just took the goblet and handed it over to Hermione, who drank it. Her eyes shut, and she fell asleep. Sirius sat beside her a long time, stroking her hair gently, tears rolling down his face. Her words echoed in his mind. "… the only one he had…"

"He has his parents now," he whispered. "But whom have I got?"

***

Padma came in to the room, when Parvati had climbed to bed. She hurried towards Parvati, but Parvati turned away.

"What is it, Parvati?" Padma asked. Parvati shrugged. She couldn't talk, the words just wouldn't come. Padma looked at her twin. "Can I come and sit beside you?" she asked. Parvati nodded.

Padma took of her shoes, and climbed to the bed. "You know what Cho said?" she started. "About Harry…" she got no further, when she heard Parvati whisper something.

"What did you say?" she asked. Parvati looked at her. "Harry is dead. You-Know-Who is dead too."

Padma didn't know what to say. She just hugged her sister tightly. Parvati continued.

"He said that we - he and I - are friends. Then he hugged me. Then Voldemort woke up from a curse and put the Imperius Curse on us. Then he tried to kill me, but Harry protected me - and died…"

Tears were rolling down Parvatis face. Madame Pomfrey came in. She had one pajama and two small goblets, and she gave one of the goblets to Parvati. "It's a potion for dreamless sleep, she explained. You should drink it all." Then she turned to Padma. "Do you want to stay here, too?" she asked. "I could give you too some Sleeping Potion, milder, of course." Padma nodded, and Madame Pomfrey gave her the pajamas, and the other goblet. Padma changed to the pajamas, and climbed back to bed. Parvati emptied her goblet first, and fell immediately asleep. Then Padma drank her potion. She suddenly felt very exhausted, and drifted on to sleep.

***

Fred, George and Ginny came in to Ron's room. They looked all sad, and their eyes were red. Fred had a goblet. "You should drink this," Fred said, and handed it to Ron, who pushed it away. "I don't want it," he said.

"We know, what has happened, Ron," George said. "Just drink it, will you. It's for your own good. You won't feel better, if you refuse it."

"I saw him die. I saw my best friend die! I won't feel good anyway," answered Ron. Ginny walked to him, and hugged him. 

"I thought we would never again see you," she whispered. Ron stared at the ceiling; he didn't answer anything.

"Please, drink the potion," said Ginny. "Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore said it will help…"

"I wont!" said Ron sternly. "Go away! I want to be alone!" He tried to blink away the tears. Ginny climbed to his bed, and lifted his head to her lap. "Ron, please…"

Ron shook his head. "Go away!"

"Mom and Dad and Bill and Charlie and Percy are all coming," Fred told Ron. "They'll be here any minute. If you don't want to see them you'd better drink this."

It worked. Ron took the goblet, emptied it, and soon he was asleep, his head still in Ginny's lap. She stroked his hair gently. Fred and George sat down on two chairs beside the table. They both buried their heads in their hands, tears rolling down their cheeks.

Ginny suddenly stopped crying. It was like something had touched her, taken away the pain. She looked at Ron's face. He was smiling. Like from a distant place, she heard whispers. "Don't be sad, Ginny," they told her. "I'm feeling fine. I'm just on the other side of a curtain. You can't see me, but I can see you. Don't be sad."

Ginny looked around. There was no one except her, Ron and the twins in the room.

"I told you; you can't see me," the whispers told her.

So, this series is finally finished. If you liked this, maybe I will do another series. Here's just some notes about this part, and this series.

No, I didn't bring Harry back. There's two reasons, **A:** Magic **can't** bring dead people back. JKR has said so many times, and I'm not going to change it, even though this is only fan fiction. **B:** I just didn't feel like it. This is my story, if you don't like it, write your own.

I like sad endings. You can still write your own alternative endings. I haven't really killed Harry, he's still alive in JK Rowling's books. This is only fan fiction.

I asked for reviews, and got them, but I alsogot lots of flames, and I will get more for this. "You killed Harry, you moron. He can't die! First I liked your story, but now… How could you kill Harry? You moron, you idiot…"

Reviews are really funny, you know…

Be a responsible reader and review...


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